Team Travel Policy
Purpose: Athletes are most vulnerable to misconduct during travel, particularly overnight stays. This
includes a high risk of athlete-to-athlete misconduct. During travel, athletes are often away from their
families and support networks, and the setting – new changing areas, locker rooms, workout facilities,
automobiles and hotel rooms – is less structured and less familiar.
Team Travel is defined as overnight travel to a swim meet or other team activity that is planned and
supervised by the Great Lakes Sailfish Swimming (the Club). Athletes must be 13 years or older to travel
with the team.
Section 1 - USA Swimming Required Policies
a. Club travel policies must be signed and agreed to by all athletes, parents, coaches and other adults
traveling with the club. (305.5.D)
b. Team managers and chaperones must be members of USA Swimming and have successfully passed a
USA Swimming-administered criminal background check. (305.5.B)
c. Regardless of gender, a coach shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping
arrangement with an athlete (unless the coach is the parent, guardian, sibling, or spouse of that
particular athlete). (305.5.A)
d. When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, the athlete must have his/her parents’
(or legal guardian’s) written permission in advance to travel alone with the coach. (305.5C)
Section 2 - Additional Club Policies
a. During team travel, when doing room checks, attending team meetings and/or other activities, twodeep leadership and open and observable environments should be maintained.
b. Athletes should not ride in a coach’s vehicle without another adult present who is the same gender
as the athlete, unless prior parental permission is obtained.
c. During overnight team travel, if athletes are paired with other athletes they shall be of the same
gender and should be a similar age. When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, at
the competition the coach and athlete should attempt to establish a “buddy” club to associate with
during the competition and when away from the venue.
d. To ensure the propriety of the athletes and to protect the staff, there will be no male athletes in
female athlete’s rooms and no female athletes in male athlete’s rooms (unless the other athlete is a
sibling or spouse of that particular athlete).
e. The Club Coach or chaperone should carry a signed Medical Consent or Authorization to Treat Form
for each athlete.
f. Curfews shall be established by the Club coach or chaperone each day of the trip.
g. Team members and staff traveling with the team will attend all team functions including meetings,
practices, meals, meet sessions, etc. unless otherwise excused or instructed by the head coach or
his/her designee.
h. Swimmers are expected to remain with the team at all times during the trip. Swimmers are not to
leave the competition venue, the hotel, a restaurant, or any other place at which the team has
gathered without the permission/knowledge of the coach or chaperone.
i. The directions & decisions of coaches/chaperones are final.